I think a lot folks make a mistake when they think all braided lines are created equal. The large majority of ‘em look nearly the same so it’s tempting to think they all perform the same as well. I can confidently say, however, that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Each brand and diameter of braided line has a particular purpose and application, so it’s important to experiment with all of them and select what best fits your fishing.
With that being said, I’ve had an opportunity to test the Berkley X9 Braided Line for the past several months and I couldn’t be happier with this line. There are a few very specific situations in which it works incredibly well and in this review, I’ll go over them and tell you how you can get the most out of this line.
Casting distance galore
Berkley X9 Braided Line utilizes 9-carrier technology and to most folks, that probably doesn’t mean much when you read that sentence. But when you break it all down and get past the technical talk, that technology makes this line very smooth and strong. It’s very round which allows it to glide through your line guides with hardly any friction, which makes a noticeable increase in casting distance.
There are a few places around here where a frog can get some huge bites but there’s one major setback; I normally can’t get my boat close enough to get my frog to the best spots; it can be tough to get a 21-foot boat into super-skinny water. Sure, I could use a smaller-diameter line and increase my casting distance but I want the extra strength when it’s time to make a long-distance hookset.
Thankfully, this X9 helps me make super-long casts without sacrificing durability or knot strength. I’ve noticed a huge increase in casting distance throughout my testing and while I haven’t taken out a tape measure, I’d confidently estimate a 20- to 25-percent increase in my casting distance. If you’re using finesse gear or power-fishing gear, I strongly recommend this line if you want to make some stupid-long casts.
It’s super quiet through the guides
I think this is something a lot of folks tend to overlook in regards to braided line. I never like to use a braid that’s super noisy throughout the retrieve. This most often happens in less-round and coarser braids and in my personal opinion, it can absolutely spook the fish. Whether it’s making that “whining” sound as it comes through the line guides or making a commotion as it drags across vegetation, the bass can hear that sound and feel that vibration. If you frequent fisheries with a bunch of fishing pressure (much like my home lake), those small things can make a giant difference.
Berkley X9 is whisper-quiet throughout the entire retrieve which is a huge plus in my book. You can work your jigs and punching rigs through thick cover with the utmost of stealth and you can bomb a frog into hard-to-reach grass and expect almost zero sound while you twitch it back to the boat.
Impressive strength
When it comes to a lot of braided lines out there, you often have to sacrifice strength and durability to get that special smoothness of the X9 Braided Line. Throughout my testing, however, I’ve realized that there’s essentially no sacrifice. You can crack ‘em on a frog, jig, punching rig without any worries of your line not holding up. So thankfully, this line offers you that stealth and casting distance we all crave while having some shoulders to it as well.
The bottom line
In addition to its very obvious performance benefits, the X9 Braided Line also allows you to dip your proverbial toe into the braided line game without taking out a second mortgage on your home. Starting at just $18.99 per spool, this is an affordable braid that will raise your eyebrows from the very first cast. I’ve become a big fan of it and I’m looking forward to using it for years to come.
